Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 46-47. (Budapest, 1968)

ADATTÁR - Antall József—R. Harkó Viola—Vida Tivadart: Semmelweis Ignác összegyűjtött kéziratai

der Nr. 24 der Communication.es ex Bibliotheca Históriáé Medicae Hungaríca im J. 1962 auf den Seiten 76-79 von Ákos Palla bekanntgegeben (allerdings nicht der vollständige Text). Die Fotokopie (nur des Gutachtens!) ist im Werke Gortvay-Zoltán: Das Leben und Wirken Semmelweis', Budapest, 1966 (ungarisch) auf der S. 109 zu sehen. 19. Semmelweis Ignác levele Ch. H. F. Routh-hoz (Pest, 1861. május 22.) A Ignác Semmelweis' Letter to Ch. F. Routh (Original English text) Pesth, 22/5161. "Dear Friend [1] As you have been so friendly in the year 1848 at the meeting of the Englisch Doctors in London [2] to bring forward a discussion on my opinion about the origin and prevention of fever in childbed, I take the liberty, having just finished a complete work [3] upon the same subject, to send it you with the request to mention it again at the same meeting. I have also send my work to Webster, Copeland, Murphy, Simpson, Weber. Thanking you before for your trouble and hoping to hear sommething of you very soon, Your sincere friend. Ignaz Semelweis." NOTES [1] Ignác Semmelweis' letter written to Ch.H.F. Routh is to be found on the fly leaf of the copy of his chief work, Die Aetiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers. Semmelweis sent the book to Routh, who gave it over to the Library of the Royal Society of Medicine (1 Wimpole Street, London, W. I. Langham 2070). The copy is in the safe-keeping of the library at present too. Its photocopy was sent by Mr. Ph. Wade, librarian of the society to Mr. Joseph Antall in December of 1966. The text of the letter was published in 1909 for the first, time, in the obituary of Routh (The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Empire vol. XV. January to June, 1909, p. 254) and on the basis of this publication György Korbuly mentions the letter and analyses the level of Semmelweis' English knowledge. He thinks likely that Semmelweis could read English, but doesn't hold verified that Semmelweis made drafts in English. Semmelweis makes mention also of his English studies; on the other hand Routh was in correspondence with Semmelweis in 1849 in Latin. Finally Korbuly raises the question: „It will be interesting to state whether the Semmelweis' letter in the possession of the Royal Society of Medicine is really in full Semmelweis' handwriting or only his signature is authentic." (Orvosképzés 1940, number 4, p. 630-632, Hung.) This problem is settled now with our present article: the letter is from one end to the other Semmelweis' original handwriting. His remarks, the remembrances of the family, his expertness in the English medical literature render at least verisimilar that Semmelweis possessed some passive English knowledge.